Bites & Sips - Local food truck scene grows with new arrivals

Published: Monday, June 23, 2014 at 4:31 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, June 23, 2014 at 4:31 p.m.

I'm reluctant to call it the "Chef" effect, but a continuous flow of food truck news seems more than a little coincidental in the wake of the much-talked-about movie. Like director and star Jon Favreau's character, a pair of respected Wilmington chefs are launching mobile kitchens this summer. Another two are growing in different directions with their established customer base.

Expect rigorously sourced North Carolina ingredients to be handled with creative flair by Kirsten Mitchell, best known for leading the kitchen at 1900 Restaurant & Lounge. She rolls out Vittles this week, debuting at employment screening firm Castle Branch's grand opening on Thursday at the company's new 60,000-square-foot building on Sir Tyler Drive across Military Cutoff Road from Mayfaire Town Center.

"The name is an old Southern word for food that doesn't get used much anymore," Mitchell said of the truck's name. "We're taking it back."

Mitchell has long been known for inventive and playful food, a culinary style that will follow her onto the truck, although pared down from the high-end experience she's been serving for the past four years at 1900.

"I've done fine dining my entire life, and I've always wanted to bring a quick-service item to people that is healthy, they know where it comes from and isn't too expensive," Mitchell said. "Basically, I was given an opportunity to branch out and do my own thing and follow my own dream, and I really feel that because I do have several people in this town who enjoy my cooking, I can really provide a product they can enjoy."

Joining the food truck club a week later, look for longtime Elijah's chef Pat Green to start serving her take on Southern staples from the window of her freshly outfitted truck, Soulful Twist. She hopes to begin slinging items like collard green sandwiches, a "burger" made from six ounces of ground bacon, chicken and waffles and soups. If the bacon burger doesn't sound rich enough, try her bacon-wrapped, all beef hotdog topped with pulled pork and coleslaw for good measure.

Green also plans on using local ingredients, and said customers may recognize a few of the dishes as ramped-up versions of specials she served at the restaurant she's called home for the past 25 years.

Leaving that kitchen – and swapping her drab black chef's jacket for a hot pink version – is a welcome change for the cook who earned an engineering degree before the restaurant world called.

"Working in a restaurant is really stressful, especially through the summer time. I was doing 16 hour days," Green said of Elijah's, a popular tourist spot. "I thought about doing a small restaurant, but decided to bring the food to the people rather than having them come to the food. It's going to be great."

Both women have spent recent months outfitting their rides. Green's was once intended to be a mobile fish-fry unit, and Mitchell purchased the former Patty Wagon vehicle. While Vittles inherited an array of functional equipment, Mitchell quickly learned some key differences from a conventional workplace.

"Learning how to operate a food truck has been the biggest headache," she said with a laugh. "I'm used to walking into a kitchen, turning on the gas and start cooking. This is an hour-long process just to get started."

James Smith, the previous Patty Wagon owner, recently opened the brick-and-mortar gastropub Fork ‘n' Cork at 122 Market St., and the decision to swap tires for tables was an easy one for him.

"Wilmington is a tough town for a food truck," Smith said. "We don't live vertically here like in more populated cities, but the events where you have a captive audience work great."

He's carried over about half the mobile menu. Response has been positive, and many former customers have followed him inside from the curb.

"I think the food truck is a great stepping stone for bigger things," said Smith, a food service veteran. Operating in a building is "still stressful, but it's my normal stress. With a truck, if your starter goes out, you're out of business for the day."

While a traditional restaurant is proving positive for Smith, Ed Coulbourn III, owner of the Poor Piggy's barbecue trucks, remains loyal to the road.

"I don't want to be tied down to a location where I can't move if things aren't doing well," he said. "I don't want the stress of having to be open at 11 every single day."

His commitment is paying off. Poor Piggy's recently captured a coveted "people's choice" award at the Texas Pete Twin City RibFest in Winston-Salem, a major boon for any barbecue business. On the home front, Coulbourn has reached a 10-year agreement to continue providing his food on the University of North Carolina Wilmington campus, and has added concessions at all Wilmington Sharks home games to his already busy calendar.

"I love what I do," Coulbourn said. "I'm a true food trucker."

Contact Paul Stephen at 343-2041 or Paul.Stephen@StarNewsOnline.com. Find him on Twitter @pauljstephen, or drop a note at the Port City Foodies' Facebook page.

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